Ismailia

Ismailia (1874) can be considered an autobiography of Sir Samuel W. Baker as it describes the author’s expedition to Central Africa. An exceptional narrative of Sir Samuel W. Baker’s mission to stop the slave trade in Central Africa. Baker took charge of the Sudanese area in southern Egypt alongside a force of 1700 men from the Khedive Authority. He engaged in multiple conflicts with slave traders before establishing a reliable trading territory in Equatoria. The heroics of Sir Samuel are apparent throughout the novel and the realistic situation keeps the readers wanting more. The anecdotes and episodes are written beautifully as it transports the readers. Baker’s second expedition, which is documented here, was to annex Sudan for Egypt and eliminate the slave trade there. He brought his second wife, who provided military and domestic assistance to the expedition party. The Bakers engaged in big game hunting and fought several fierce battles against the slave traders. The second expedition started in 1869, the same year Baker was appointed governor-general of the equatorial Nile basin for a four-year tenure by Khedive Ismailia.